Metadata entry

Just as with the file format selection, a good preservation plan starts at the source. Metadata are a fundamental tool to classify a digital object, which may be perfectly preserved but not easily findable if it hasn't been given a proper title or has been placed in the wrong category. Metadata entry may be time-consuming but pays dividends in the long term.

Pocket Archive strives to make the cataloging process as easy and flexible as possible to alleviate the upfront efforts. An important part of the work is done by the system administrator when setting up the content model. As mentioned in the Content model manual, this is an initial step in the repository that should be considered carefully. Setting the right content categories and the adequate constraints (especially not setting too tight constraints) can alleviate the work of many thousands of entries.

The other part of the work is done during routine data entry. Filling extensive metadata for many digital records can be tedious, error-prone, and time-consuming. The tactical use of spreadsheets to compile metadata in a laundry list and proficiency in the spreadsheet application of choice can make this job much easier and faster. The following techniques can be helpful in this direction:

• Use pre-compiled templates with the most common metadata headers already filled in.
• Set data types in columns expecting numbers, dates, etc.
• Set up field constraints and validation in the spreadsheet — for example, if a field only accepts values from a controlled vocabulary or a true/false value, most spreadsheet applications can set these constrains and pre-fill the allowed values that can show as drop-down menus, thus avoiding hand-typing.
• For users of LibreOffice Calc, Pocket Archive offers (and will add to) a suite of tools and macros to help with repetitive tasks, such as generating UUIDs.